A support worker has claimed the NDIS is “years behind” where it should be after collapsing and revealing the high cost of his work.
Roma Daly, 25, cares for young people with disabilities and regularly posts videos on TikTok where she talks about the good and bad of the job she loves.
In a post that has been viewed tens of thousands of times, an upset Daly spoke through tears and claimed work had been taking its toll on her.
In August, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten announced that state and territory governments had agreed amendments that will help significantly reduce the ballooning cost of the plan by $14.4 billion over four years.
Daly is pleased with the recent massive overhaul of the NDIS after a series of fraud scandals and concerns about the huge cost, which was $44.3 billion in the 2023-24 financial year alone.
He told Daily Mail Australia that one of the biggest problems with the NDIS was the lack of funding allocated to young people living with a disability.
“I think they’re not recognizing what their participants really need,” he said.
‘I work with young people, they are the people in the NDIS who get the least amount of funding and they are the ones who need it the most.
NDIS support worker Roma Daly (pictured) broke down in tears on social media as she spoke about the toll her work – working with young people with disabilities – can take.
“They’re growing up, they’re going to school and they need support workers, they need their allied health providers, and they can’t get it without funding.”
She believes if the NDIS spent more money on children and young adults it would save the government millions in the long term.
‘That’s why I’m studying occupational therapy, so I can help as many young people as I can in that early intervention phase and nip it in the bud.
‘(Support workers) help them with their daily life and daily tasks, such as self-care during adolescence, adolescence and then entering the real world.’
Ms Daly said this support in the early years “will give them a lot more opportunities and a lot more skills”.
She said there are days when she needs to sit down and remind herself that “I’m doing this for the right reasons, which is why I talk a lot on my TikTok about self-care and burnout prevention.”
‘Because as support workers, we need to provide a lot of energy, attention and support to our participants, but we cannot forget about ourselves.
‘We need to make sure we are looking after ourselves. And if we are not, we will not be able to provide the best care.”
Ms Daly (pictured) regularly posts videos on TikTok where she talks about the good and bad of the job she loves.
Ms. Daly said she works with many participants with autism spectrum disorder and “it’s that emotional regulation and rejection that I get.”
“Working through crises can be quite overwhelming as a support provider,” she said.
‘TThis is probably one of the biggest challenges I have faced as I work with a lot of young people.
‘There are so many maximums. It’s a very rewarding job, but it has its lowest moments and obviously it can have an impact like it did that day.
“This does not mean that it is very rewarding and fun. BBut there are definitely low points, as we give a lot to our participants,” he said.
The young people he works with vary in be between 11 and 25 years old and suffer from diseases such as autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD and neurological problems.
Raised in Tasmania, Daly moved to Queensland in 2019 to study exercise science at Griffith University, which ultimately led to her chosen career.
After graduating, she worked as an administrative assistant at an exercise physiology clinic on the Gold Coast, but said she “really lacked purpose.”
Raised in Tasmania, Ms Daly moved to Queensland in 2019 to study exercise science at Griffith University.
‘Then I met this amazing participant who came to our clinic to study exercise physiology and we built this amazing relationship.
“It just started there and I started supporting him, taking him to football one weekend. “Everything grew from there and I found my passion,” he said.
This work led her to make more connections and get more participants.
‘And now I have an amazing business and I have some employees working for me. It just bloomed, which is amazing.”
Ms Daly said she decided to set up a business rather than just be a self-employed support worker thanks to the NDIS.
“I think the changes coming will be really good and will eliminate shady suppliers,” he said.
‘My values around my business are to provide the right care.or my participants.
“The registration processes ahead will be incredible and will ensure we provide exceptional care to people in the community.”
Despite her passion for what she does, Ms Daly feels the NDIS is “years behind” where it should be.
Daly’s TikTok video was met with sympathy as social media users shared their own experiences.
“As a support worker, I have definitely found that we are the most resilient, strong-willed and caring people in the world,” one wrote.
“No one else could imagine doing our job.”
“I really feel that way right now and I also feel very defeated, exhausted and mentally drained,” a second added.
‘Stuck at night and in active care, it takes the stress away when I get home and do 14-hour shifts straight for minimum wage. “They put a lot of pressure on me.”